


Underfell

by SeptSapphire



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dark, Alternate Universe - Underfell, Gen, POV Second Person, Pacifist Route, Underfell
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-27
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-04-28 12:51:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5091431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeptSapphire/pseuds/SeptSapphire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Saving and loading so often, something was bound to go wrong eventually. One glitched restart leads to an Underground where the monsters aren't so nice after all. With only Flowey for companionship, Frisk tries to escape the monsters that have already taken six human souls, and are not afraid of committing any cruelty to get their hands on a seventh.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Pocket Full of Posies

**Author's Note:**

> This AU idea is not my original idea, but instead recently picked up popularity in the fandom as a "dark" AU of Undertale. As far as I can tell it comes from [here](http://underfell.tumblr.com/post/131509689286/how-did-you-come-up-with-this-idea), a blog that is no longer active. However, the original Underfell designs can be found [here](http://68.media.tumblr.com/10499bce913bf7c16085ae7aef1d377d/tumblr_inline_o0b5j7nwYr1t3a8wa_500.png) and [here](http://68.media.tumblr.com/3c59f3e8c5f99a92cd9775936659438a/tumblr_inline_o0b5joSITB1t3a8wa_500.png) . The basic idea around it is that instead of most of the monsters being good, Flowey is your only ally and all the other monsters are evil. Aside from this, all other aspects of the AU are up to interpretation.
> 
> IMPORTANT EDIT: I started writing this story a long time ago, when the idea was still new and there were no set personalities for any of the other characters. Since then, many people have created popular fan interpretations. I'm going to warn you now that because of how long ago I started writing this, the personalities will likely NOT match the popular personality, and I'm not really interested in tailoring/revising them to match, even for things written after the hiatus. I'm aware there's now an Underfell fangame, which I have not yet played (as much as I want to, I feel like I should finish this first to avoid being influenced), and have no idea how similar this story is to it, but I can assure you I'm not copying anything from them. I tried to write these characters as I would picture their Underfell versions acting, and that may not line up with the commonly accepted personalities. So, uh, I hope you guys can enjoy anyway. Thanks for giving me a chance ^^

You wake up in a bed of flowers, sore all over. You remember making your way up the mountain, pulled forward by some force you couldn’t describe. You remember tripping, falling, thinking you were going to die. Surprisingly, the flower bed seems to have broken your fall well enough.

You stagger to your feet, your bruises barely slowing you down. You’d grabbed a branch to try to save yourself, back on the surface, but it had snapped off the tree. Now, you find it lying nearby. Glancing at your surroundings, you decide to keep it, just in case. Something about this place gives you a bad feeling. It’s time to get moving.

“Howdy!”

Startling, your eyes roam until they fixate on the single yellow flower, which seems to be… staring at you. It’s smiling, and with dawning fear you realize it’s speaking to you as well.

“I’m Flowey. Flowey the flower! You’re new to the Underground, right? Falling from that hole, well… you must be human. ” Something passes over the flower’s face, shadowing his cheery exterior. You’re not sure, but you think it might be concern.

“The Underground is dangerous, especially for humans. The monsters here aren’t very nice. In fact, they hate humans. They… well, it doesn’t matter now. What matters is you getting out of here alive.” The way Flowey says it, you think you’re going to have a very hard time of it.

You wonder, for a minute, if it’s alright to trust Flowey. You’re not experienced in talking with flowers, but he seems sincere enough, like he’s really worried for your safety. All alone down here, do you really have a choice? Hesitantly, you ask Flowey how to stay safe.

“Your best bet is to avoid the monsters, but some of them will attack you. You’ve got to be ready to defend yourself. I can teach you, if you want. Ready?” It’s best to be prepared. You nod. “Here we go!”

The room’s edges darken, pulling your focus to you and Flowey. Between the two of you shines the soft glow of a red heart. “See that heart? That is your SOUL, the very culmination of your being. When monsters fight you, they’ll attack your soul with magic, so do your best to avoid their attacks.”

Flowey pauses, watching you carefully. You look back, nodding your encouragement. You’re scared, sure- who wouldn’t be, knowing their soul was on the line? But if you’re going to make it out of here, you’re going to need to push past your fear.

Seemingly finding what he was looking for in your eyes, Flowey continues. “If you’re ready, I’m going to attack you, so you can practice dodging, okay?” You nod again, and in front of Flowey you see small white pellets which slowly drift down towards your soul. Taking a step back, you easily dodge the magic.

Flowey smiles, but his good mood is quickly crushed, replaced by wariness. “If you’re going to get back to the surface, you’re also going to need to know how to fight. That stick you’ve got, that’ll do for now, though you can probably find a stronger weapon later. Now, attack me with it. Don’t worry, I can take it.”

You look doubtfully at the stick in your hand, then back at Flowey. He’s been so nice to you, why would you hurt him? Why hurt anyone, for that matter? Shaking your head, you tell Flowey you don’t want to fight him.

“W-what? No, you have to. Come on.” Again, you refuse. “Human, if you don’t fight, you won’t survive. Down here… it’s kill or be killed.” He says it with some regret. You can see he doesn’t want to fight you either, and doesn’t want to get hurt himself. “Maybe you’re hesitating because I haven’t tried to hurt you. What will you do when there’s no other choice?”

The bullets from before reappear, but this time they surround you. You look frantically around for an opening, but find nothing small enough to squeeze through. Desperate, you plead with Flowey, and see only regret.

“If you can’t fight me, you’ll never make it,” he says, but again, you refuse to attack. The bullets are getting closer. Terrified, you shut your eyes…

And the bullets suddenly disappear.

Instead of being hurt, something from further away hits Flowey, sending him crashing to the ground. Shocked to see your friend hurt, you look to where he has fallen, but find nothing. Flowey has run away.

The edges of your field of vision begin to return to normal, and a a different, feminine voice greets you.

“What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth...”


	2. Mother of All

The monster that greets you when you look up may have just saved you, but for some reason you feel much less comfortable now than you did with Flowey. While somewhat human in shape, this monster’s face resembles a goat, complete with long ears and short, stubby horns.

It might be comfortingly familiar, if it wasn’t for those glowing yellow eyes.

You step back a bit, hesitant to trust anyone down here. She sees this, and offers a wide smile, made all the worse by the rows or sharp teeth. “Ah, do not be afraid, my child,” she soothes. “I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins. The creature who attacked you… what a monstrous action. I would never do such a thing, especially to such a poor, defenseless human.”

The way she says defenseless creeps you out. While Flowey was threatening simply by virtue of being a stranger in an unfamiliar world, Toriel’s tone is far more upsetting. Still, she hasn’t tried to attack you. Maybe you’re being too quick to judge. Hopefully, you ask if she can help you.

“Of course, I will guide you through the Ruins. Come, take my hand.” She reaches out for you, and you notice the long claws at the ends of her fingers. Taking care to avoid their sharp edges, you place your hand in hers. Toriel pulls you forward, grasping your much smaller hand just a hair too tight. You squirm a bit in her grasp, but she pays it no heed, and you notice just how much stronger she is than you.

“The Ruins are full of puzzles, many of which could be dangerous. I could explain them, but it is much faster for me to simply solve them.” At first, you feel a bit disheartened at not being given a chance to try the puzzles. Then you see the floor covered with sharp spikes, and decide it’s better that Toriel lead the way.

Out of the corner of your eye, you catch a flash of movement. You stumble a little, trying to get a better look at it, but when you turn there’s nothing there. However, the feeling of being watched doesn’t go away, and you see Toriel glaring off in the same direction.  
“There are other monsters in the Ruins that may wish you harm. Do not worry child, I will protect you.” The look on her face while she says it makes you look away quickly. Her eyes flash with something like hatred. You’re starting to suspect the monsters stay away because they fear Toriel too much, and for a moment you feel the same.

Coming to the next room, Toriel turns and gives you an appraising look. You shrink a little under her intense gaze. “There are many monsters here, and I cannot always be here to protect you, of course. I must ask you to venture on by yourself. After all, if you are to continue your journey, I wouldn’t want to find out you had been caught by monsters, screaming for help but incapable of defending yourself. If they got their claws and teeth on you… well, you see why this needs to be done.”

Your eyes bulge at her description. The way she says it, it’s almost as if she’s expecting it to happen, excited about the possibility. You feel a shiver travel through your spine.

Despite your misgivings about her, when Toriel leaves you behind you feel even more exposed and alone than you did before. You take a few hesitant steps forward, but stop short when another flash of movement catches your eye. Dread wells up in the pit of your stomach, knowing these monsters are out there, watching you.

You want to stop, to cry, but you can’t. You have to keep moving forward. Just focus on the path in front of you. Taking a deep breath fills you with determination.

You move forward with quick, purposeful strides, eyes catching on dark forms just outside your field of view. It’s a long walk, but you know you can make it. At the end of the room is a tall white pillar, large enough for someone to hide behind. Maybe Toriel didn’t leave you to fend for yourself, and you were scared for no reason.

Hopefully, you peer behind it, but find only empty space.

The path gets narrower as you progress, and there’s more movement in the shadows. Something jumps out at you, blocking your way, and you flinch back. It reminds you of a frog, but the way it looks at you with its blank stare gives you the impression that it’s much more dangerous.

Indeed, the thing ribbits and attacks, sending a swarm of what look like flies your way. You dodge, feeling your soul resonate when one comes close enough to bite you. It hurts, more than any bug bite should, and you know your life is really in danger here. These creatures in the Ruins don’t want to talk, they want to hurt you.

You think back to what Flowey said, about the Underground being kill or be killed. You could fight this monster, to save yourself… but would that really be right? Is killing someone else for your own safety really justified? Maybe there’s another way to end this battle.

You think desperately. If you won’t fight, maybe you could talk it out with the frog. It looked menacing, but you were sure that it wasn’t evil, no matter if it attacked you. Finally, you offer it a compliment.

The monster blinks at you, confused, but seems to appreciate the effort. It seems like it doesn’t really want to fight anymore, and with a sigh of relief you let it hop away. Maybe you could survive down here without hurting anyone after all, if you just tried to appeal to the monsters. They’re scary, sure, but you’d always been told not to judge based on appearance.

Taking a deep breath, you carry on. Other monsters seems to follow the same pattern, being hostile at first but quickly stopped with some conversation. Really, no one down here wants to hurt anyone so nice to them, and after a while you come to think that maybe you can change them, befriend them.

The path ends in front of a dying tree, where you find a surprised-looking Toriel.

“My child, you made it this far?” she asks, sounding like she expected you to be hurt. Her expression changes quickly, morphing into that somewhat creepy smile. “Well, this is good news. Come inside, I’ll show you where you will be staying.”

 _Staying?_ you think. _I don’t want to stay. I want to go home._ But the rest of the Ruins were just dead ends, and if anyone knows the way out it must be Toriel. Following her inside seems to be the best course of action.

She leads you to a small room with a bed and a few chests. You look around and find a pile of shoes in varying sizes. Looking down at your own shoes, you fine them tattered and worn down by your journey up the mountain and through the Ruins. Surely there should be another pair in here that fits. Digging around, you find a more practical pair of boots, and decide to keep your old shoes in your bag, not wanting to leave dirty shoes around in someone else’s house.

You look at the bed, but decide against sleeping. You don’t feel safe here. Instead, you walk back out of your room to find Toriel.

You follow the clatter of dishes to the kitchen, where a large, empty pie tin rests on the counter next to some ingredients. You see flour, sugar, eggs and such, but nothing that might indicate the flavor of the pie just yet.

“I thought you would be in bed. You’ve had a long day, haven’t you?” You have, but more than sleep, you just want to go home. You persist, asking Toriel how to leave the ruins.

The pleasant expression melts off her face, replaced by a scowl. “You’re not leaving the Ruins. No one can leave. Now go to bed.” You shake your head, pressing the issue. “Oh, my child. So many humans have fallen down here, just like you. I help them all. I take good care of them. And then, when they’re tucked into bed… I bake a pie. Now, would you grab me the last ingredient? I think it’s right behind you.”

Behind her back, Toriel clutches a kitchen knife. You think back to the pile of shoes, evidence of those who had fallen here before you, with no sign of any of them making it out. No one ever came home when they fell down here because Toriel wouldn’t let them.

They must have all trusted her, believed she would keep them safe. Instead, she’d only been pretending. With horror, you realized the last ingredient was _you._

You fled from the kitchen, running to the front door, but tugging on it with all your might only revealed that it was locked. Behind you, you could hear Toriel’s footsteps approaching. You had to think fast; if the Ruins were a dead end, and there was no exit down the hall… the door had to be downstairs.

Changing course, you took the flight of stairs as fast as you could, knowing you were being chased. The door was in sight. You were almost there, almost out of the Ruins-

Something hot struck you in the back, sending you sprawling to the ground. By the time you recovered, Toriel was looming over you. Gone were here kind eyes, her fake smile, replaced by a look of cold amusement and sharp fangs. You were sure, then, that this was the last sight the other humans had seen.

“Trying to leave so soon? How rude. Naughty children deserve a punishment, and what a delicious one it will be!” The door is in sight, but Toriel…

Toriel blocks the way.

Her intent is clear in her eyes now. Her flames are scorching hot as they fly after you, singing your skin when they get too close, causing incredible pain when you’re not fast enough. You know she betrayed you, that she wants to hurt you, bake you into a pie, but you can’t ignore the sliver of hope that maybe you don’t have to fight. Maybe, like the other monsters you encountered here, Toriel can be spared.

You tell Toriel you refuse to fight. She just grins. “That will only make it easier to kill you.” You keep dodging, repeating yourself every time you get the chance. At first, it seems to do nothing. Toriel continues to fight you like nothing has happened, like your actions only amuse her.

You keep refusing to fight. Over time, Toriel’s response changes. “Stop it,” she says, and grows angrier when you refuse again. “What are you doing? Fight me!” Her attacks are more powerful now, but they swing wildly, seeming to almost miss you on purpose. You breathe heavily, wounded from her previous attacks, but stay determined. You’re having an effect on her. You can do this.

Toriel glares at you, but her attacks continue to cut away from you at the last second. She seems almost guilty for hurting you when you have not even tried to fight back. “Why are you making this so difficult? Just die already!” She waves her hand, and suddenly you are surrounded by fire. Just like Flowey’s attack, this seems inescapable. You’re too weak to take another hit. If you don’t fight her, you face death yourself.

You make eye contact as the flames draw closer. The look in her eyes, the way she’s changed, it fills you with determination.

With a scream of rage, Toriel’s attack flickers out and dies. Her whole demeanor changes, shoulders slumping and eyes downcast. “Pathetic, is it not? I cannot even kill a human. Why… why are you doing this?”

You think hard for a moment. Toriel betrayed you, meant you harm, as did all of the other monsters here. You should be scared, angry, and honestly, you are. And yet, you just can’t bring yourself to think of her as evil. If anything, this has taught you that even monsters can be changed, can’t they? Quietly, you tell Toriel that you want to be her friend.

“F…friend? With a human? I…” She sighs. “I am sorry for attacking you. I am sorry for much of what I have done, in my grief and hatred. Perhaps it is time I started trying to make amends. You have shown me so much, my child.” Her eyes brim with tears, in a startling contrast to the hatred reflected there earlier. “If you will allow it, I would like to be your friend.”

Instead of replying, you wrap your arms around her. She hesitates, then finally returns the hug. “I know you wish to go home. I won’t lie to you; it will be dangerous out there. The monsters… Asgore… do not let them take your soul.” The idea chills you. Toriel almost killed you. If she is this strong, what must the other monsters be like?

But you’ve got to get home. She nods, knowingly. “Goodbye, my child.” She flees back down the path the way you came. Left with no other option, you continue through the door.

To your surprise, you find Flowey waiting there. You back up warily, remembering your last encounter, but he looks worried rather than aggressive. “Wait, I don’t want to fight anymore.” You stop, hoping it isn’t too good to be true.

“I thought the only way to survive was to kill first. I only wanted to help you, when I attacked you, but maybe I was wrong.” You smile reassuringly, offering forgiveness. “Still, it’s dangerous out there,” Flowey continues. “If you need help, well, maybe I could come along?”

Struck by inspiration, you open your bag, digging out one of your old shoes. You fill it with dirt, and then help Flowey inside. Pleased with yourself, you place the shoe back in your bag, leaving it open so Flowey can stick out.

Having a friend by your side… it fills you with determination.


	3. Dogged Determination

The first thing that hits you outside the Ruins is the biting cold. The heavy door, which swings shut behind you as soon as you’re through, must have been well insulated, because the cold is a shock to your system. Your fingers curl inside the sleeves of your striped shirt, flinching away from the wind.

Even if you wanted to go back, you know you can’t. The door seems to have all but melted into the wall, with no handle to pull it back open. It doesn’t matter anyway. You can’t go back; you have to go home.

You trudge through the snowy path, suddenly thankful for the change of shoes. You and Flowey continue on in silence for a while, but you start to feel an itching sensation at the back of your neck, like you’re being watched.

You walk a little faster, taking care to dodge the fallen tree branch in the path. Soon after you pass it, you hear a crack, and turning around reveals only broken remains. “We should get out of here,” Flowey says, and you agree.

Instead of walking, you run. You can feel something just behind you, but every time you glance back there’s nothing but your own footsteps. You’re running so fast, so focused on what’s behind you, that you barely notice the gate barring your path in time, skidding to a stop in front of it.

The bars look much too tight to squeeze through, but you can’t go back. Whatever’s following you, it must be approaching fast. You can hear its footsteps crunching in the snow. You try desperately to push your way through, but it’s no use.

The footsteps come to a stop inches away. “Human.” You shudder. “Don’t you know how to greet a new pal? Turn around and shake my hand.” There’s no escape. Maybe if you play along, he’ll let you go.

You turn and slowly inch your hand forward. Your fingers meet thin, hard appendages instead of the expected skin or fur, which wrap tightly around your hand. “W-wait, don’t!” you hear Flowey cry, but it’s too late. He grabs your hand and pulls his arm back, tossing you to the side.

You land hard on your side, the light snow cover not enough to cushion the fall entirely. You look up to meet the eyes of your attacker- or, apparent lack thereof. Only empty eye sockets blink back at you, framed by bone. Despite being a skeleton, the figure manages to look heavyset, seated in his thick black jacket.

The cold of the snow seeps through your thin shirt, so you start to pick yourself off the ground, not letting your guard down this time. Your eyes stick on the fuzzy coat; what does a skeleton need such a warm jacket for anyway? You get the feeling that in a different time, a different place, you might have asked to borrow it. Then you shake your head- that’s ridiculous.

“Heh, how gullible.” He gives a big, wide grin that puts you on edge, but he doesn’t make another attempt to hurt you. “Anyways, you’re a human, right? I’m Sans. I’m actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now.”

You take a step back, ready to run. “Relax, kid. Honestly, I don’t really care about capturing humans. Now my brother, Papyrus… he’s a human hunting fanatic.” That look in his eyes… it reminds you of Toriel as she led you deeper into the Ruins. It’s a mixture of glee and anticipation, like he just can’t wait till his brother gets his hands on you.

But Toriel could be changed. Couldn’t Sans and Papyrus as well?

“Hey, actually, I think that’s him over there.” The words startle you out of your thoughts. If Papyrus is so intent on hunting humans, you don’t want to be anywhere near him. But you still can’t get through the bars…

Sans huffs out a laugh. “Well, I guess it wouldn’t be any fun if he captured you right away, would it? Follow me, kid.” From his jacket pocket he pulls a keyring with only a single key on it, which unlocks the large gate. A sudden idea springing to mind, you ask Sans if that’s a skeleton key.

He looks at you weird, and maybe you deserve it. You did just try to tell a monster a joke.

“Hey, Papyrus!” Sans calls out, and you look at him, a little betrayed. You have to keep reminding yourself he’s not your friend; no one is down here.

You don’t have time to linger on how that makes you feel. Instead, you duck for cover behind a snow-covered sentry station before Papyrus can notice you.

It’s a good thing you hid. The tall, scowling skeleton that stalks out to meet Sans looks much more menacing than his brother. He lacks Sans’ easy grin, seeming serious instead, and you shudder to think all that focus is for hunting down humans.

Papyrus’ sharp voice grates against your ear like rattling bones. “Sans. Aren’t you supposed to be at your post? What are you even doing?”

Sans casts a deliberate look towards where you’re crouched, unmoving. “Watching my station,” he answers. You barely dare to breathe.

Papyrus heaves a long-suffering sigh, like this isn’t anything new. “You’re supposed to be watching _at_ your station. What if a human comes through? I would want to be ready, of course. Not that any human would have half a chance of escaping.”

Sans grins, sounding pretty genuine when he adds, “Of course not. You’re the best human hunter there is.”

The skeleton stands up a little straighter, cape rippling in the icy wind. “Still. You know how important it is that we capture a human. The power, the prestige… Undyne will be dust under my boot heels with the power of a soul on my side. Then, I, the Great Papyrus, will finally get what I’ve always deserved. Respect, recognition… the Royal Guard will tremble in my presence!”

You’re starting to think Papyrus may be a little full of himself. Then again, he looks formidable enough that you think better of calling him on his lies.

“Maybe this sentry station will help you?” Sans cuts in. You feel one of Flowey’s vines brush against your neck as he curls closer to you. Luckily, Papyrus looks more annoyed at being interrupted than he is interested in checking your hiding spot.

“Sans, you are not helping! _You_ should be using that post! Maybe if you weren’t so lazy, we would have caught a human by now.” Sans looks cowed by the rebuke. “Regardless. I will attend to the traps. Try to get a little more work done in the meantime.” The crunching of boots against the snow signals Papyrus’ exit. You heave a sigh of relief.

Sans doesn’t look thrilled to see you again. “Well? You’d better get going.” But when you try to leave, he calls out to you again. “Actually, kid… could you do me a favor? My brother talks a big game, but he’s never actually seen a human before. I think capturing you might really lift his spirits. Don’t worry, he’s harmless.” His grin and the last conversation suggest otherwise.

Still, what choice do you have? You can’t turn back, so even if it means putting yourself in the path of a murderous monster, you have to keep pressing forward.

Once you’re out of earshot, you finally relax, releasing tension with a big, whooshing breath. You slide your backpack off and place it next to you, where you can see Flowey inside. He looks a little bothered by something, and once you’ve composed yourself enough, you ask what the matter is.

Flowey’s eyes dart up to you in surprise, then away just as quickly. “I’m sorry. I… I knew Sans and Papyrus would be here. I should have warned you, but… I was afraid. I’ve seen what they’re capable of. I know I put you in danger, but as soon as I saw him, I locked up.”

You reassure Flowey that you’re not mad. After all, you didn’t get hurt in the end. He looks surprised, but relieved. “Thanks. I’ll do better next time, I promise.”

You feel like Flowey’s still holding something back, but it might not be a good idea to press it right now. You’re still shaky with adrenaline and unprepared to do much more than trudge forward, deeper into the snowstorm.

You see very little of the skeletons for a while. You do, unfortunately, see a rather menacing looking guard dog- or rather, the dog sees you. A sharp bark makes you still on instinct as the dog leaps out from behind the sentry station, growling.

“Who’s there?” it barks, surprising you not only with its ability to speak but also when it stands upright, holding two knives. “I saw something move… if something was moving, for example, a human, I’ll make sure it never moves again!”

For some reason, the presence of talking, knife-wielding dogs bothers you even more than the monsters you’ve seen so far. Maybe it’s just because they remind you so much of your normal, monster-free world that they seem so out of place here. If Doggo – Flowey helpfully names the monsters you meet now – is so similar to regular dogs, maybe you could treat it like one.

But first, there’s the matter of evading its attacks. You try to dodge, but Doggo’s eyes lock onto you. Wherever you try to move, his eyes seem to follow you. But you remember that before, when you had stood in front of the sentry post unmoving, Doggo had been growling at empty air.

You really hoped you weren’t wrong on this one. This time, when Doggo swung at you, you held your breath, keeping absolutely still. His swing went wildly to the left, missing you completely. That must be the trick. If you didn’t move, he couldn’t see you, and that would let you counter. Slowly, so as not to be noticed, you inch out your hand until it’s resting on Doggo’s head.

The dog stills, looking confused and angry until you start to pet. Then, it seems to be enjoying itself, even if it doesn’t want to. “Who’s petting me? Stop that!” You continue until Doggo’s stiffness leaves him and he relaxes into your touch. You smile, pleased that this dog, no matter how scary he may have seemed, is just as susceptible to being pet as any other.

When you stop petting, Doggo seems like it doesn’t care to fight anymore, and you breathe a sigh of relief. It curls up inside the sentry box, seeming content, even if it never found out who was moving. You take this as your cue to move on.

The icy terrain holds many more dogs, as well as a surprising amount of dangerous traps. You’re saved from electrocution by Flowey’s sudden shout of “stop!”, getting so close to the danger that you feel static coming off the empty air in front of you. “That was close,” Flowey says. “Sorry, I just remembered. That skeleton, Papyrus, mentioned traps in Snowdin, and I think this is one of them.”

You’re certainly glad you avoided walking right into it. There’s no way you would stand a chance against the skeleton after a shock like that. You take a step back for safety, trying to figure out a good way to cross unharmed.

You ask Flowey if this trap is here all the time. “Yes, they’re always activated in case a human passes through. The monsters of Snowdin just know how to get around them.” The snowfall has died down here – in fact, the sky is nearly clear. With no fresh snow, it’s actually fairly easy to see where the snow looks disturbed. This must be where people have passed through, and it should be a safe path through.

You tell Flowey your idea. He looks doubtful for a moment, but it flickers out of his eyes just as quickly. “Alright. I… I trust you. Let’s go.”

It’s a tense walk through the electrical field, but you come out unscathed.

The next few traps vary pretty widely in difficulty. One is just an old crossword, ink bleeding a bit from where the snow has wet the page. Actually, you’re not even sure if that’s supposed to be a trap or if someone just dropped their newspaper.

Others, however, take a bit longer to navigate through. They almost fall of the edge of a particularly icy switch-based puzzle into the back abyss below, and you’re still smelling singed hair from the flamethrower on that bridge. You’d narrowly avoided death on that one.

In between these puzzles are more guard dogs, each more imposing than the last. Lesser Dog just seems grumpy until you show him some affection. Then, he’s surprisingly friendly. Dogamy and Dogaressa, however, pose more of a problem.

The two dogs approach cloaked in long black robes with their noses sticking out. They hold matching scythes, resembling twin reapers standing out against the bright white snow. Thinking fast, you notice their reliance on smell rather than sight. Maybe if you don’t smell like a human, they’ll let you go.

You duck under one of their scythe swings, rolling in the snow to avoid the other. Suddenly both dogs stop, sniffing the air. “Is that… it smells like a pup, not a human!” Dogamy declares, and you use his distraction as an opportunity to pet Dogaressa. When both dogs have been pet, they finally calm down, recognizing you only as a very strange puppy.

You’re thankful for the similar behavior of the dogs, especially when out of a small snow poff rises a huge dog. Greater Dog certainly lives up to his name, towering at least three times your height. You’re not even sure you could reach this dog’s head to pet it, and he doesn’t look like he wants you to. While the other dogs had been dangerous but ultimately just curious, Greater Dog looks furious at being disturbed.

A single swipe sends you flying into the snow. Struggling to your feet, you try to look for any weaknesses, but this dog seems to use all of its senses. If you could just get it to trust you, you might be able to calm it down.

Greater Dog drops to all fours when it lunges at you, teeth snapping inches away from your face. Against your better judgement, you beckon it over. You reassure Greater Dog that you don’t mean to hurt him. He stalks towards you, snarling, but you’re ready for him now. When he gets within range, you reach out and give him a pet.

Unlike the other dogs, he just looks angrier at that. Or maybe he’s just more energetic now. You toss a bit of snow, and he leaps up to catch it in his snapping jaws, looking surprised when he realizes it’s a harmless snowball.

Greater Dog somehow looks more trusting, and in the end proves to be no different from the others. A good pet, once he finds you trustworthy, is all he needs to back down and return to sleeping.

Exhausted, you still find it in yourself to smile. The monsters here are scary, but like those in the Ruins they can be calmed down. You think, a little sadly, that friends must be few and far between down here. Could you really expect monsters who have never known friendship to accept it from a human?

Well, some of them have. You think of your friends in the Ruins and those you’ve made here. You were just a single human, too weak to even fight, but if you could do anything for these monsters, you hoped you could help by showing them kindness.

“Even if they don’t deserve it?” Flowey asks when you tell him this. The question makes you pause. Doesn’t everyone deserve kindness? “What if… what if they’re bad? What if they messed up?” You tell him it doesn’t matter. For some reason, he looks sadder, but he doesn’t say anything else. Over the next hill, you can finally spot the town.

Something catches you eye. You spin, finding nothing behind you, but you’re left with the feeling of being watched. You tell yourself you’re just being paranoid and keep walking, even if you don’t really believe it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually meant to end this chapter after the Papyrus fight, but it was getting very long. I thought it was better to break it up and post this in the meantime, even if it's mostly small plot events, to keep myself from rushing through the end. It'll probably be only a short break until the next chapter is up, so I hope you don't mind the lack of action in this one.


	4. Bone Rattlin' Japes

The town seems deserted at first, with no one in the streets, but you soon notice monsters clustered together around the edges of the road. Their eyes track your presence but no one says anything or tries to stop you. They must think you’re a new monster in town or something.

All the shops look empty, but you’re desperate for food and warmth. You duck inside the first building you see, taking a moment to appreciate the warmth until your hands start to tingle with it.

“Hey, you gonna buy something? Customers only.” A tall, somewhat humanoid rabbit watches you from the counter, face stern. Your rumbling stomach reminds you of your mission soon after.

There’s little to choose from, and of the available items only a few look edible. You settle on a slightly stale cinnamon bun and a warm, if a little thin, bandana. The price for such low-quality items seems a little high, but you pay anyway. On your way out, you take a bite out of the cinnamon bun, chewing as quickly as you can to ignore the slightly off taste.

The town’s inn looks run-down, and you’re not particularly tired anyway, so you pass it by. There’s very little else in Snowdin. Every once in a while there’s a clump of monsters huddled together, talking in hushed words that always die down into silence as you pass. You can feel their gaze on the back of your head, eyeing you up, maybe trying to figure out if you’re a threat. You wouldn’t be surprised if all newcomers were treated this way, considering the hostility the monsters have shown you so far. You try not to take it personally.

You spot Sans standing outside a building named _Grillby’s_ that looks like a bar. You think about hiding, trying to avoid him, but he’s already spotted you. In fact, he seems to have been waiting for you. He doesn’t look like he’s going to fight you in the middle of town, though, so you keep walking towards him.

“Hey kid.” He grins at you, empty eye sockets making it look creepy. “I’m surprised you made it this far. I guess I didn’t give you enough credit.” You feel a little proud, even though Sans doesn’t look very surprised to see you. “Still, I should warn you; my brother’s up ahead. He was pretty mad when he found out a human got through all of his traps. And believe me, when he’s mad…”

Sans looks to the side, trademark smile dropping from a face for just a short moment. “Anyway, Papyrus won’t be happy to see you. You sure you don’t want to just give up now? You couldn’t live here, of course. Someone would kill you, but I’d make things quick and painless at least.” You firmly tell Sans you’re not going to give up.

“Didn’t think so. I was lying about the painless part anyway. Look, I’ve been watching you, and I’ve gotta tell you, this whole kindness thing is only gonna get you so far. Monsters don’t care about kindness – they care about killing humans, and the sooner you realize that, the better chance you’ll have. Not like I’m protecting ya or anything. Keep trying to hug monsters for all I care. Maybe when you get stabbed in the back, you’ll realize what a stupid idea it is.”

Sans walks off before you can argue the point, but his words stay with you. His warning about monsters wanting to kill humans, alongside Papyrus’ single-minded focus, makes you think there’s more to this than pure cold-heartedness. Curious, you ask Flowey why monsters hate humans so much.

“Well, I don’t really know a lot about it.” He hesitates, seeming unsure what he should tell you. He never seems ready to give you all the answers. You’re thankful for his company, especially when everyone else seems to be rooting against you, but you wish he trusted you enough to tell you everything. Or maybe that’s not the reason at all. Sometimes, you think you can see guilt in his eyes, filling in the long pauses. What could be so bad he couldn’t tell you though?

You’re shaken from your thoughts when Flowey continues. “It happened a long time ago, and most monsters weren’t around back then. Monsters used to live alongside humans. But they weren’t much nicer back then than they are now. Monsters souls, unlike most creatures, are inherently evil. They’re prone to destruction and chaos, so their relationship with humans was always rocky.”

You ask how this can be true, if you have been able to befriend so many. Flowey smiles, perking up. “That’s all you. It seems like your kindness changes a monster’s soul, taking everything good inside and bringing it to the surface. I wish I could say the same of all humans. Then we wouldn’t be in this mess.” The smile, short-lived as it was, disappears entirely as he continues.

“The humans back then had no interest in forgiving or befriending monsters. They were scared of them, and fought constantly. Eventually, the humans gained the upper hand, and trapped the monsters in the Underground. No one showed monsters any kindness after that, not even from each other, and everything good in their souls just seemed to disappear. I’m sorry – I know it’s not what you want to hear, but maybe there are some monsters whose souls are so hardened they can’t be befriended.”

You shake your head adamantly. That’s absolutely wrong, especially knowing what you do now about monster souls. Even if their bad qualities seem overwhelming, there’s got to be some good inside. If they’re finally shown some kindness, all monsters must be able to change. 

Flowey gives a weak grin. “You’re right. Sorry. Whatever you’re planning on doing… I’m going to be right there with you, I promise.”

Despite your newfound confidence, you feel pretty lucky that these monsters don’t seem to know you’re a human. They must not be old enough to remember surface life – after all, thousands of human years must have passed since then, considering you’ve never heard of monsters living aboveground. You’d have a lot more to worry about if every monster knew what to look for.

“Hey.” You stop, readjusting to reality. The conversation had sidetracked you enough to let your guard down, something you can’t afford to do in a town filled with unfamiliar monsters. “Over here.” You turn to find the voice, gaze landing on a short, armless lizard-like monster staring you down. “You’re a kid, right? I can tell, ‘cause you’re wearing a striped shirt like me. Anyway, I just wanted to say… watch yourself. I don’t like other kids coming in here thinking they’re the boss.”

You reassure him you don’t want to be in charge. You tell him you’re just trying to go home.

“That’d better be true. And you’d better move fast, or I’m gonna start doubting you. See ya around.” You’re not welcome here, human or monster. You quicken your pace out of town.

If the weather before was unpleasantly cold, the conditions here are nearly unbearable. Wind whips snow up into your eyes, making it hard to see where you’re going. It gets harder to take full breaths until you remember the bandana you bought. You pull it from your bag and wrap it around your nose and mouth, resting just below your eyes, and tie it tightly around your head. Without the wind getting in your nose, the storm is a bit more manageable.

Still, it only gets worse from here. Every few steps you slip a little, feet scrabbling for purchase on the ice. The wind intensifies, howling loud in your ears, until a nearby voice finally breaks through the deafening gale.

“Human.” You can pick out the tall, thin outline of Papyrus through the snow storm around you. You had been hoping to avoid him, but it seems like chances of that are slim now. You can’t exactly run in this weather, not without falling flat on your face at least, and you’d rather not turn your back on him anyway.

“That is what you are, isn’t it? My brother said nothing of your arrival here, but I have been checking my traps. Other humans, even other monsters, would have fallen prey to my expertly crafted diversions, but… not you.”

“You are the one who has passed through all of my traps unharmed, aren’t you? You must truly be a puzzle master to best me, the Great Papyrus. You weren’t even phased by the guards. But strangest of all, they’re not dead. I pity you, human. Without the strength to fight, you won’t have much of a chance down here.” It’s hard to tell through the snow and the distance, but he sounds angry and confused. “I can’t say I understand you, but… Someone as good at puzzles as you, well, I will be proud to take a soul like yours.” You vision blurs, focusing on Papyrus as you prepare to dodge.

Papyrus starts immediately, flinging a few easily dodged bones at you. It looks like he might be warming up. “Human, show me how you defeated the guards. Show me your best efforts!” You do exactly that; you refuse to fight. “You refuse to fight even me? Hmm… Maybe that will change when you see what I have in store. Behold, my blue attack!”

The bones that fly at you this time are a ghostly blue, and you recognize them from your fight with Doggo immediately. Though your instincts say otherwise, you stand perfectly still and they pass right through you. The attack looks to be over… until suddenly a cold feeling washes over your body, making you gasp in surprise. The red glow of your soul is replaced by a dark blue. You feel heavy, like your center of gravity has changed, weighed down and unable to dodge as quickly as before. You’re completely caught off guard by the bone that sails at you, catching you in the chin.

Papyrus grins. “You’re blue now. That’s my attack.” You realize the blue bones weren’t a blessing after all, but instead were meant to force you into stillness for the next attack. You’ll have to be more careful in the future – you keep forgetting these monsters have many tricks up their sleeves, and not all of them are fair. You flick your gaze back up to Papyrus, who seems to be waiting, tense. You keep refusing to fight. “Fine. But don’t expect me told hold back just because you refuse to retaliate.” He prepares another attack, and the heavy feeling worsens.

It takes a bit of readjustment, but you find you can jump over some of the lower bones and roll out of the way of others. You jump with full force, straining against the new gravity with all your might. You barely manage to avoid the attack. Papyrus looks impressed for a moment, then shifts back to angry.

You get accustomed to the feeling, but you can’t dodge everything. The longer the heaviness lasts, the more tired you become, which makes it harder to keep moving.

You have to convince him he doesn’t have to fight you – you might not have much longer if this keeps up. You think back to what you know about Papyrus, even through limited interactions. You decide to compliment his attack.

“Of course! I, the Great Papyrus, always inspire amazement when I fight.” It’s not enough. You’ve got to come up with something better, but your mind is blank, overridden by fear.

A memory, unbidden, comes to you. For a brief second, you think of Papyrus, smiling as he serves you spaghetti. This isn’t how things are supposed to play out, is it? The Papyrus you saw, he was happy, shouting something about puzzles. Compared to the imposing figure before you, setting up traps and attacking with intent to kill, they barely seem like the same monster.

You have to fix it. Even knowing so little about the other Papyrus, the feeling of loss is too strong to ignore. Maybe you can’t fix things, not yet at least, but you can try to change this Papyrus just a little bit.

You ask Papyrus what he knows about cooking.

“Cooking? Foolish human, I am a warrior, not a chef! I wouldn’t bother myself with such a thing. Besides, I’m a skeleton. I don’t need to eat.” You press further. You ask if he wants to cook with you some time. 

Papyrus looks angry you even asked. “No! Even if I want to cook, you will be dead soon. I could never spend time with a human anyway. Stop trying to distract me.” He launches another attack, this one more aggressive than the last. Most of the bones connect, making bruises and cuts. Drops of blood stain the snow white. You can’t give up.

You ask Papyrus how he built those puzzles in the forest.

“A true puzzle master never reveals his secrets!” He pauses, thinking over his words, seeming shocked at his own response. “I- I mean, those weren’t puzzles, they were traps! Puzzles are for children.”

You’re getting through to him. The snow gets redder. Keep… going…

You ask Papyrus if he wants to be friends.

“Friends? I don’t need friendship. None of us do, and certainly not from you. What are you trying to prove with this? I…” He falters, but recovers and throws more bones at you. You barely move to dodge. You feel weak.

“Friendship is for the weak, like you. I have prestige! Power! I don’t… I…” The cold feeling wrapped around your soul suddenly disappears as Papyrus turns and stalks a few feet away. You cough, and taste salt at the back of your throat.

Papyrus laughs bitterly. “I speak of power, and yet I cannot even kill a human. I’m not much stronger than you after all. My dreams, every standard I’ve ever held myself to, crushed to dust by someone who won’t even fight me. Sans will be so disappointed.”

Softly, you tell Papyrus you don’t think he’s weak. You tell him, once more, that you’d like to be friends.

He looks torn, regretful of his actions but finding it hard to agree to your offer. But it seems like, if only just a little bit, you’ve managed to change his mind. “I’ve only ever known the life of a killer. But I think, maybe, it might be nice to try cooking for a change. Human, I would like… human? You don’t look so good.”

You hear Flowey ask you something you can’t make out. When you don’t answer, he shouts at Papyrus, sounding scared but determined. Papyrus’ response is lost, as if given underwater. You smile, right before you plummet face first into the snow.

You wake up somewhere warm. The surface below you is much more comfortable than the snow, if a little lumpy.

You sit up a little and find that your injuries ache, but not as badly as they should. You lean heavily against the back of the couch you’re on, looking around at the small house’s sparse furnishings.

“Hey, slow down. You’re gonna hurt yourself.” Flowey’s concerned face swims into view, a little blurred until you blink a few times. “Are you okay? You didn’t look too good for a while there… we did our best to patch you up though.”

You tell Flowey you feel okay. He looks relieved, but not all of the concern leaves his expression. You ask where you are.

“We’re at Papyrus’ house. After you fainted, I… I yelled at him. A lot.” He looks embarrassed, so you smile encouragingly. “He promised you a safe place to stay while you recover. You really changed his mind. And mine, too. I could never have stood up to him like that if it wasn’t for you.”

You start to say something, but Papyrus must hear you, because he crashes through the door, shouting “Human, you’re awake!” You flinch back a little, but it’s only muscle memory. The way Papyrus looks at you, you can tell he’s got no desire to fight anymore. “I am sorry it took me so long to stop fighting, but I, the Great Papyrus, am very strong, so you shouldn’t be embarrassed that you lost to me.”

Flowey glares at him. “Er, I mean, _I_ shouldn’t be embarrassed that you bested me. It is difficult in the Underground to be anything but solitary, but I would very much like to be friends, human. But you must know, this doesn’t change what I have done. I don’t regret my past, but I was not exactly kind back then. I can’t promise that will change, only that I will try to see things your way.”

You tell Papyrus that’s enough. He beams, then remembers himself, going serious again. “If you’re feeling up to it, I wouldn’t mind trying some of those things you suggested. I must be the very best friend any human has ever made, and as such, I will make puzzles and cook, even if these things seem childish, if it is what you want.”

You spend the next few hours teaching Papyrus how to make non-lethal puzzles and cook spaghetti, just like you pictured. Sometimes the puzzles get out of hand, or the spaghetti burns, but everything feels just a little more peaceful, like this is how it’s meant to be.

It occurs to you that this is a strange way to think of things. Stranger, still, is when you take your first bite of spaghetti and so strongly expect it to be horrible, even though you supervised the whole process yourself. This should be new territory, but for some reason it feels like a dream, forgotten and rediscovered. And no matter how much you try to match reality up with the dream, it just doesn’t seem quite right. Papyrus doesn’t take to cooking with quite the same enthusiasm as you expected, so you give up pretty quickly.

When Flowey asks, in private, how you knew what to tell Papyrus during the fight, you reveal your odd not-memory to him. “So you’ve been down here before? But that’s impossible, right? I would have seen you fall. And you would have known what to expect.”

You agree. You tell him you haven’t been here before- at least, you don’t think so. You can’t remember it, not outside of the weird feelings. The whole thing is strange, but neither of you have any ideas about it, so you ignore it for now.

Sometime later, Sans shuffles in, and you barely notice him until he’s right next to you. “Papyrus, is that the human?” he asks, sweat beading on his forehead. “I thought you were gonna kill the kid, not bring them back to the house for a playdate.”

Papyrus narrows his eye sockets. “I am not killing the human anymore. We are…” he looks hesitant, then defiant. “We’re friends now.”

“F-friends? Pap, you don’t need any of those. Friends make you weak, remember?”

“Well maybe this wouldn’t have happened if you had told me when the human arrived. You’re always slacking off, I should have expected you’d let a human slip right by you. What good are you if you’re away from your post so often, lazing about at Grillby’s!”

Sans looks downcast, but not surprised. “You’re right bro. I’ll just head back out.”

“No, Sans, I-” the door closes on Papyrus’ words. The skeleton sighs. “I never mean to be so rough on him. I suppose I just get carried away. It’s not an excuse, but… if he’s always taking breaks, he’s not training, not keeping himself safe, and I won’t always be around to fight for him. Maybe he doesn’t need the extra work, but I would feel better if he just tried a little harder.”

As his one and only friend, you feel like you should help. You are kind of the topic of contention, after all. You suggest Papyrus apologize to his brother.

“Of course! I do hate Grillby’s, but I can brave it for Sans’ sake. Truthfully, I worry that after all I’ve done I might not be able to fix our relationship. But that doesn’t mean I won’t try, if you think it will help.”

He stands to leave, then pauses. “Human, you wish to return to the surface, don’t you?” You nod. “It will be a long journey. When you reach the Core, cross the barrier and return home. Anything can enter through it, but only a powerful human soul can exit. You should be able to leave.”

“I have to warn you, though. To reach the exit, you will have to pass through the King’s castle. The King of all monsters… he is… well… the cruelest monster in the Underground. I know you have been refusing to kill so far, but you must understand that the King will not care for your friendship offering. He cares only for the power of the human soul. Human, I am sorry to tell you, but in order to return home, you may have to…”

He must see the determined look on your face, because he cuts himself off. “I know you don’t agree. I still don’t understand why you wish to befriend the monsters who attack you, but I suppose it has worked well enough. When the time comes, you’ll decide what to do on your own.”

He leaves to go find his brother. You and Flowey stay for a while in the empty house, but it’s time to move on pretty soon. You travel back outside, past where you fought Papyrus, and it reminds you of a question you had been meaning to ask. You remind Flowey of when Papyrus said he would take your soul. Despite your budding fear, you ask what that means.

Your question leaves Flowey distracted, staring off into the distance for a while. You don’t interrupt. Finally, he seems ready to answer you. “The cruelty of the monsters wasn’t the only reason humans decided to lock them away. Humans feared the ability of monsters to absorb a human soul. Monsters would kill humans to gain the power of their soul. With this, they would become creatures of immense strength. Papyrus is like many of the monsters down here. When they learn you are a human, they will try to take your soul.”

But he’s not like that anymore, you remind Flowey. “You’re right. Still, you should be careful. Monsters are dangerous enough without adding human souls to the mix.”

You walk a while further in silence. Snow turns to slush under your boots, then melts away entirely, revealing deep blue soil. The warmer climate here melts the snow, which flows through the cavern in small rivers, pooling in ponds and lakes. It seems peaceful here, but you know better than to relax now. This time, when you spot Sans leaned against a sentry post, you’re not startled.

“Hey kid. You got a second? We gotta talk.” He’s all smiles, much different from how he’d reacted when he found you in his house. Still, the smiles don’t look particularly friendly, which makes you hesitant to agree.

You push down your fears, but don’t ignore them entirely. It’s not safe to relax around Sans, but you can probably talk with him… as long as it’s in public. “Great. I know a shortcut.”

He takes you further into the cave, yet somehow you end up back at the bar you’d seen in Snowdin before. There are a few grumpy-looking monsters inside that greet Sans like an old friend. You’re a little surprised to see some of the guard dogs you met before, who nod in recognition but otherwise keep playing their card game. Sans saunters up to the bar and you grab the seat next to him. He gestures to the bartender, a monster made of flickering blue flames. “Hey Grillby, two order of fries.” Grillby nods, retreating through the door behind the bar.

Sans turns to face you, just watching for a long moment. “I don’t get you, kid. All these monsters try to kill you. You’re scared, I can tell. But instead of defending yourself, you just let them beat you up, hoping they’ll grow a conscience? Whatever. If it leads to your death, it’s all the better for me.”

Grillby arrives with the fries and a bottle of… mustard? You open your mouth to ask for ketchup instead, but the bartender is long gone by the time you look up. “What’s the matter, don’t like mustard? Whatever, more for me.” With shock, and not a small amount of disgust, you watch Sans chug the mustard straight from the bottle.

“Anyway, that’s not what we gotta talk about. Papyrus and I fight a lot. He gets mad, I leave, and we both pretend it never happened. Usual brother stuff, right? Except, not this time. This time he… he followed me and apologized. You wouldn’t have anything to do with that, would you?”

You tell him you suggested it. “That’s what I thought. Whatever you did, however you changed him, _undo it_.” You blink, shocked. You thought Sans might appreciate Papyrus acting a little kinder. Instead, Sans looks madder than you’ve ever seen him. “Look kid, I don’t mind you spreading kindness or whatever to all these other monsters, but leave Papyrus alone.”

You protest. You only showed him friendship, and how can that be bad? You’re just trying to show monsters kindness-

“You’re gonna get him killed.” Sans’ words derail your thoughts, and you stare wide-eyed, uncomprehending. “Wherever you come from, it might be okay to be nice and have friends. But down here? Friends are weakness. Nice monsters don’t survive, and if Papyrus gets hurt because of this, because of you, I swear-” he breaks off with a cruel grin. “Well, let’s just say…” The lights of the skeleton’s eyes flicker out, leaving only black holes and his haunting grin. “You’re gonna have a bad time.” After a moment, the pinpricks of light return, but Sans really doesn’t look any less scary with that image burned into your mind.

“Let’s just hope he doesn’t get hurt, huh?” He stands, starting to make his way out of the bar. “Oh, and can you pick up the bill? It’s only 5000 G.” Before you can protest, he leaves.

You check your pockets, coming up with only a measly 25 G. Grillby, who’s reappeared at the worst possible time, doesn’t look thrilled with your offering. You laugh nervously, shrinking away from the bartender's stern expression. You hope you can talk your way out of this one, or Sans really won’t have to worry about you anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mean mister mustard man! How could he leave poor Frisk alone with the bill? I'm sure they'll act their way out of the situation though. Underfell designs for Grillby seem to always be blue flames instead of red, so I used the popular design. As a more general note, finals are coming up which might slow down writing a bit. Unless I use writing the fic to procrastinate studying, in which case expect frequent updates.


	5. Kill Your Heroes

You dip your fingers in the water, breath puffing out in relief as the cool water soothes the wounds. You weren’t fully healed from your fight with Papyrus, and your altercation with Grillby had only left you in a worse state. Thankfully, the burns are light, only skin-deep and fading fast after eating your last cinnamon bun. You could ignore them, but the temptation of a break is too strong to resist.

Flowey rests next to you at the water’s edge. Behind him is a light blue flower, towering over him. It makes you laugh a little, to see the two next to each other. Flowey looks behind him at your laugh, then turns back, smiling. “Hey, try poking that flower,” he says. You knit your brow in confusion, but do it anyway.

As soon as your finger makes contact, the plant seems to come to life, petals stretching outwards as a familiar, if somewhat distorted voice suggests “hey, try poking that flower.” Your eyes widen. Well, it would be rude not to listen, wouldn’t it? You reach out and tap one of Flowey’s petals.

He laughs when he realizes, looking genuinely happy for what you think might be the first time since you fell down here. Probably longer than that. “Echo flowers are native to Waterfall. They repeat the last thing they hear. Not many uses for them, but they’re… nice. There aren’t a lot of flowers native to the Underground.” Flowey’s smile remains, but their gaze goes a little distant again, just for a second.

The pause gives you a chance to change the topic. You don’t really want to spoil the mood, but you’ve been meaning to ask this for a while. Quietly, you ask Flowey why he hadn’t warned you about Sans if he knew what was going to happen like he said.

Flowey looks guilty, and that’s not what you want, but you don’t take it back.

“Before I tell you, I have to ask… you have the power to save, right?” The question shocks you – you didn’t think anyone knew about that. You haven’t had any reason to reset yet, and Flowey already knows. You nod, wondering where this is going.

“I thought so. Since you fell down here, I haven’t been able to. Your determination, it’s stronger than mine, and seems to cancel it out. But before that… I was able to save and reset too. It’s the only reason I’m still alive down here. The more dangerous monsters down here have killed me countless times. But every time Sans found me, or Papyrus struck me down, I held on, and somehow… well, you know, I’m sure.”

“I know it’s not a good excuse, but I didn’t warn you because I was scared. After so many deaths at a monster’s hands, it’s hard to do much more than freeze up when I see them. I tried to hide, but I’m not gonna do that anymore. I’ve gotta keep you safe after all, don’t I?”

Flowey looks downcast, and you understand. He didn’t tell you, sure, but could you really blame him? Being down here with all these monsters alone, without even a single supporter… you don’t want to imagine it. You don’t want to know what it’s like to die so many times, hanging on with sheer willpower. You reach out your hand, and Flowey lays a leaf inside it, visibly shoving down his fear.

“As long as we’re talking about this, I should warn you about Undyne. She’s the captain of the Royal Guard, meaning she’ll do anything to get her hands on your soul. Monsters don’t jump up the ranks here without cruelty, it seems, and she’s no stranger to it. Undyne is-”

“The coolest warrior in the Underground,” says a voice behind you, and you jump and spin to find the monster kid you’d seen back in Snowdin. “What are you still doing here? Undyne’s gonna kick your butt.”

He looks no happier to see you now than he did then – less angry maybe, more annoyed instead. You thought just getting out of Snowdin would be enough, but it seems like he expects you to practically leave the Underground before he’s happy. Luckily, that’s exactly what you’re trying to do, and you tell him as much.

He huffs flippantly, seeming not to believe you. “Whatever you say. Just don’t embarrass me, okay? Undyne’s up ahead, and I can’t be caught hanging around some wimpy loser like you. So scram!” He gives you one last glare before leaving you behind.

You don’t want to keep running into him, but there’s no other way to keep moving forward. You’re just going to have to be subtle about it to avoid drawing attention, from either the monster kid or Undyne. Deciding to stick to cover as much as possible, you enter the patch of tall-growing grass on the edge of the room.

Heavy footsteps reach your ears and you freeze, holding your breath. You chance a look and can just make out a shadowed form, built tall and bulky, with one pinprick of light - the gleam of an eye, it seems – visible. Could this be…?

Your suspicions are confirmed by a familiar voice. “Undyne,” you hear Papyrus greet, though you don’t dare to move enough to keep him in eyesight.

Undyne turns to face Papyrus, saying something too quiet for you to make out. Papyrus’ voice, as is typical, carries more than well enough for you to hear it.

“Of course I fought the human! You really think a human could defeat me? With soul power I could dust you instantly, so don’t talk down to me.” It sounds like Undyne cuts Papyrus off to ask something else, but only silence follows for a beat. Then, “…Where are they now? Ah, I may have… let them go.”

You wince in sympathy. “You see, this human, well, forget it. You’ll know what I mean soon enough. And if you think you’re so strong, I’d like to see you do better. They’ll be coming your way soon enough.”

The sound of footsteps fades into the distance, leaving the area silent. You take a cautious step forward, the tall grass rustling around you.

There’s a creaking, screeching sound of metal on metal as Undyne suddenly and violently swings towards you. You freeze again, eyes wide, straining to keep absolutely still and not make any more noise. Undyne’s glowing eye watches your hiding spot for a while, but soon she shrugs it off and retreats.

You wait a minute before moving, just to be sure she’s really gone, before making your way out of the grass.

There’s more rustling behind you, and you turn to find the monster kid emerging from the same grass you were hidden in. It’s lucky you’re not being followed by Undyne, but this monster hasn’t exactly been an ally either, so there’s no time to relax yet.

“I guess Undyne will be too busy finding that human to deal with you. That’s a shame, since she came so close to discovering you. I’m gonna help her find that human though. Then you can see how a real monster fights.”

Mission set, he charges ahead again. You share a concerned look with Flowey, but there’s not much you can do to convince the kid otherwise. At least he doesn’t realize you’re the human Undyne was talking about. You’re going to have to press your luck and hope you can still sneak by undetected.

Like the forests of Snowdin, Waterfall isn’t an easy place to navigate. The path before you slopes low, water lapping at your feet and the dark, blue-hued soil that sinks a bit under your weight. True to its name, water rushes over cliff faces and pools in lakes at the bottom of the cavern. Looking up, you can see the wooden docks and flimsy-looking bridges that loom in the distance, comprising the rest of the area.

The water gets in the way, making travel slow and occasionally blocking the way. Like in the past, Waterfall seems to have traps built into it, but you’re not sure if they’re Undyne’s doing or if they formed naturally and the monsters simply devised a way to cross, which seems to be the case with the water lilies.

There are plenty more echo flowers along the way, and you and Flowey make sure to listen to each one. Most are just bits of passing conversation caught from passing monsters. Some are silly, pointed out by Flowey as “the good ones” and plucked from the masses by what you can only imagine is a result of repeated visits. Others are more somber or downright scary. It’s clear that even a peaceful place like Waterfall isn’t a stranger to the cruelties monsters can inflict on each other.

Monsters who wish for revenge on humanity make Flowey unnerved, almost guilty. The small few who mention surface life make him grow quiet. One flower makes him retreat into your bag suddenly, quiet for a long stretch. All the voices are unfamiliar to you, distorted past the point of recognition, but sometimes Flowey doesn’t seem to share this problem. Maybe Flowey has come here before and listened enough to know who the voice is. You decide not to ask.

Aside from the flowers, the journey is accompanied by scratchy, rune-like text along the walls. Every once in a while, a plaque will break up the smooth blue walls on your left side. The words are hard to make out, faded with time and the cavern’s dampness, but still possible if you focus.

 _The War of Humans and Monsters_. Just reading it gives you an uneasy feeling. But you want to know just what happened to drive the monsters down here. You keep reading.

_Humans are incredibly weak. When compared to the power of a monster, they lack magic to fight with and their bodies are too frail to provide much defense against magic attacks. This is true, except in regard to their soul, which is exceptionably strong. It would take the souls of thousands of monsters just to equal the power of a human soul._

You remember what Papyrus had told you, about a strong human soul being able to pass through the barrier. Maybe this was the reason why.

_But the strength of the human soul is also their greatest weakness. Its power allows it to persist outside the human body, even after death. When a monster defeats a human, they take its soul. A monster with a human soul is a godlike beast with incredible power, more than capable of wiping out countless foes without tiring._

That lines up with what Flowey told you. It’s not an unfounded fear either, knowing what monsters are like. Papyrus had threatened you with the same thing not long ago, aiming to kill you and then take your soul’s power. Your eyes catch on a mostly worn-away drawing of a beast like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Something about it makes your breath catch in your throat, makes your pace quicken, if only to get away from it faster.

The dock extends down the path, growing darker the longer you walk. The creak of the boards echoes in your ears, counterpart to the oppressive silence of the area otherwise.

You see the flash of blue split-seconds before the glowing spear crashes into the dock inches from your face. Your leap back belatedly, nearly overbalancing but catching yourself just in time to see the glint of Undyne’s armor and three more floating spears materializing over your head. Desperately, you propel yourself forward in leaps and bounds, heaving gasps of air into burning lungs as you outmaneuver another volley of spears.

You make a good effort, but you’re just too tired to dodge some of them. They cut into your arm, just grazing by but still sending pain spiderwebbing through your whole body. You pull the injured limb in close, the adrenaline rush providing another burst of energy.

It’s enough to give you a bit of a lead on Undyne, and you launch yourself towards another patch of tall grass. She’s still a ways away, but it feels like she’s practically snapping at your heels as you claw your way through the foliage and, to your surprise, come face-to-face with the monster kid.

“Undyne’s chasing you? What did you do to get on her bad side, anyway? Whatever, it doesn’t matter- Undyne’s always right, and if she thinks you’re worth her energy, then there’s no way I’m letting you escape this time.”

Your eyes widen and you make a wild grab to stop him, but the plants make it hard to maneuver your arms, while he slips through easily. Instead you go still, trying to regulate and quiet your panting breaths, just close enough to the edge of your hiding place to see if the situation turns sour and you need to run again.

The monster kid bursts out of the grass at the same time Undyne is about to enter. She skids to a halt at his call of “hey Undyne!” and the spears remain suspended in midair, frozen in their tracks. She looks from the kid to the grass, confused, and then seemingly stiff with anger. Without another word, her magic disperses, and she turns and walks away.

“Wait! They’re in here!” he calls, but Undyne’s not listening anymore. “Come back!” You breathe a sigh of relief, figuring Undyne must have assumed she was chasing the wrong person. You feel a little satisfied, that is, until you see the dejected slump of the monster kid’s shoulders.

He idolizes Undyne, and she just turned her back on him, not even listening to what he had to say. While he did just try to get you killed, you can’t help but feel a little bad for him after that.

You step out of the grass and lay a hand on his shoulder. He jumps, straightening up and glaring at the contact point, but you don’t pull your hand back. “I don’t need your sympathy,” he mutters, pulling out of your reach. “Anyway, I’m sure we’ll see her again. And I won’t mess up next time.”

He runs off again without letting you get a word in edgewise, and you’re sure you’ll see him again soon. Just as sure as you are that Undyne will be making a reappearance, as much as you wish you could avoid that confrontation.

With a moment to yourself, you finally look at your arm where the spear grazed you. It seems you’re past the worst of the injury, as there’s not a lot of pain left from before. Flowey frowns at it from over your shoulder, but you assure him it’s not a big deal.

“I know,” he says, “and a simple cut shouldn’t bother me after seeing what Papyrus did to you. It’s nowhere near as bad as that. Especially with your power to save. But… it doesn’t make dying hurt any less. I think that was the hardest part- trying to stay determined in the face of that much pain. I don’t want you to have to go through that, even if… even if it’ll be hard to avoid.”

But you already knew taking this path would hurt. You knew it since you held out through Toriel’s attacks, since you fell down here, maybe even before that, if you think hard enough. The danger you put yourself in by not fighting back… isn’t it worth it, if no one dies in the end?

 _If you have some sort of special power… isn’t it your responsibility to do the right thing?_ The words come to you suddenly, lost back into your thoughts just as fast. Where had that come from? It almost felt like a memory, but you couldn’t think of the context, or really even remember where you’d heard it.

It doesn’t matter; it’s true, isn’t it? You tell Flowey you’re willing to go through it, even if it’s not the easiest or safest way to get home.

“I’m glad you feel that way,” he says finally. “Nobody else down here seems to share that view though. They’re all out for themselves. I guess it’s just another thing that makes you different.”

The journey is a little quieter after that, both you and Flowey having plenty to think about and carrying less excitement about the journey after the close call with Undyne. You barely notice the scenery passing by until the writings on the wall start up again.

_This power has no counter. A human could never take a monster’s soul. When a monster dies, its soul disappears, and an incredible power would be needed to take the soul of a living monster. There is only one exception. The soul of a boss monster is capable of persisting after death. If a human were capable of defeating a boss monster, they could absorb this soul. But this will never happen._

Well, it’s clear monsters don’t have a very flattering view of humans. Still, you doubt you’ll have a need for a monster’s soul anyway, and you’ve avoided even trying to fight monsters, so you’ve got no reason to challenge the monsters’ expectations.

A faint dripping sound echoes down the corridor. While the noise was commonplace a while back, this area is more roofed, so the sound of falling water again surprises you. The sound gets louder as you continue, though you only see a small amount of dripping water at first, coming from a hole in the cavern roof above a statue.

The figure is towering, looming feet above your head and wider than any monster you’ve seen so far. Into the stone are etched regal, would-be-flowing robes surrounding a sturdy, goat-like monster. The horns, which curve high up into the air, and the full-sized trident look equally deadly, though you know from experience that monsters don’t need physical weapons to be dangerous.

This must be… “The king,” Flowey confirms, staring over your shoulder. “King Asgore.” Though the expression portrayed on Asgore is serious and strong, the rain falling softly on the statue’s shoulders paints a soft, sad picture. You linger for a moment longer, wondering if the height is an exaggeration, or if a monster that size is really going to stand between you and home.

Eventually you keep moving, watching the cracks in the ceiling get wider and wider, letting more water spill in. It’s practically raining in the path ahead, and you shudder to think of making the rest of the trip in damp clothes. Thankfully, there’s what looks like a lone umbrella propped up against one of the walls, and you go grab it hoping for some protection.

The frame is dented, like umbrellas get when strong winds blow them inside out, but it’s not too much of a struggle to force it back into its natural shape – or at least, something similar. You trace the edge of a wide gash in the cloth, thankful it was torn towards the edge and not on the top. You don’t think too hard about why it looks like claw marks.

It’s not the most water resistant, but it certainly beats stepping into the downpour without it. You stick close to the center, Flowey curled around the metal pole just above your hands, both of you trying to stay as dry as possible. You spot a dry alcove in the path and head towards it hoping to take a break, but as you get closer you see a familiar face already there.

The monster kid notices you at about the same time, looking up at your umbrella and then back at you with a glare. He looks soaked to the bone, having travelled all this way in the rain, and though he tries to hide it you can see him shiver in the chilled air. You wonder for a second why he didn’t pick up the umbrella, then realize your mistake – nothing to grab it with.

“You again?” he snaps, and you do feel a little guilty about catching him at another vulnerable moment. “What’s wrong with you? Don’t you know that if you keep going, Undyne’s gonna catch you for sure? Not that I care what happens to you or anything…”

You tell him you just want to pass through unharmed. You’re just trying to get to the Core.

“What could you possibly want in the Core? It’s been practically vacant for ages… whatever, doesn’t matter, cause you’re not going to make it. Undyne’s gonna get you first. And I’m gonna help this time.” He steps forward in a show of bravado, but the water dripping down on his head makes him retreat back into the alcove.

Wordlessly, you tip the umbrella towards him in offering, keeping the tear in the material on the other side. You offer an encouraging smile, which is quickly wiped away by his hostility.

“I don’t need your help! I- I’ve just never been this far… but I’ll figure it out!”

You shake your head, offering the umbrella again. Your smile returns, fainter but persistent. He looks at you scathingly, but the look he points at the rushing water is far more bitter. He weighs his options, but it’s much too difficult to progress in the rain and he knows it.

“If you tell anyone about this, I’ll kill you, I’m serious,” he growls, before moving under the shelter of the umbrella. Your lips are sealed.

The walk is quiet, Flowey peeking his head out every once in a while to make sure the monster kid isn’t going to try anything but remaining relatively scarce, probably driven off by the tense atmosphere. Even though you invited him, you can’t really say you trust monster kid much, with good reason.

Your gait is stiff and you offer no conversation, so the monster suddenly speaking up startles you. “So, one time. We had a school field trip where we visited the core.” You pause, and he stops alongside you, staring off the path and avoiding locking gazes.

“We got to visit the castle and everything. Only from the outside though. The king – we had to call him Sir Dreemurr – was just getting back to the castle. He was carrying something – someone – with him. He only turned towards us for a moment, so I never really saw what it looked like or anything, but our teacher told us he’d just killed another human and was bringing it back for its soul.”

It paints a disturbing image in your mind. Fieldtrips were for farms and museums, at least where you came from. You couldn’t imagine any class watching King Asgore drag the lifeless body of some human kid around.

“I thought he was so cool, getting to kill a human. Everyone in the class was so excited. Of course, that was before I knew about how strong and cool Undyne is. Still, there was something in the king’s eyes that always stuck with me. I don’t know what it was. He just… looked so proud, so strong, with that human in his hands. I’ve always wanted that.”

His cheeks flush a little, and he turns away once he realizes you’re watching him. “I just… thought you might want to know. Since you’re going to the core, after all.” You don’t say anything, can’t do much more than swallow thickly and walk a little faster.

You reach the end of the rainy section not long after that. You leave the umbrella, figuring it’s too clunky to carry around with you if there’s no immediate need for it. The path continues, but the next section is a few feet above your head. It’s probably not much trouble for bigger monsters to climb up, but you’re not sure you could manage to pull yourself up all the way.

The monster kid slows to a stop at the base of the little cliff. “Guess they weren’t expecting monsters like us to make it this far when they built this path. Well, if you can’t make it up here, Undyne won’t know where to look for you. I guess I could help with that.”

It sounds like an excuse, but you don’t call him out on it. With a boost, you scrabble up the wall, then turn and reach down for him. Too late, you realize your mistake when he casts a bitter look at your outstretched arms and his own bare sides.

“I’ll find some way around. Like I’d need your help anyway,” he growls, taking off again. You straighten slowly, feeling like you’re so close to changing his mind. Maybe it’s all in your head. Maybe he hates you just as much as he did to begin with, but you can’t help feeling like that’s not right.

More jagged text on the wall catches your eye. _The humans, afraid of our power, declared war on us. They attacked suddenly, taking us by surprise. It was a gruesome war, the weak humans still able to kill monsters by outnumbering us, their souls giving them power. Beaten and banished to the Underground, every monster waits for the day we return and take our revenge._ It’s nothing surprising, but it’s nothing pleasant either. You keep walking.

It’s darker up here, making it harder to stay on sure footing. Beneath your feet, wood creaks, shakily supporting some sort of bridge. You’re already focused on the ground, making sure to keep a straight and steady path in the dark, so when the ground beneath your feet glows a soft blue you immediately leap back, ending up with your face half an inch away from a familiar blue spear.

Again, Undyne remains mostly hidden, using her magic instead of physical force, like most monsters you’ve seen so far. You, meanwhile, are left to rely solely on your physical abilities to dodge the spears and stay on the bridges. They wind a twisty path through the darkness, cutting sharply to the side at seemingly random points, and occasionally dead-ending right in front of you. You skitter back from the inky abyss, back into the arrow minefield, over and over.

Your luck runs out pretty quickly. You turn from another dead-end and come face to face with Undyne blocking the path. You back up, feeling the edge of the platform where your heels brush the open air. Undyne advances forward.

Spears begin to form above her, poised to strike. You’ve got to do something, anything. Left with few options, you leap forward, putting all your momentum behind a solid tackle. Undyne stumbles back only a few inches, protected by her armor and bulk, but it’s enough to halt her spear throw. Instead, the spears drop right from where they formed, splintering the wood between you and Undyne and snapping through the connecting planks.

You drop low as you feel the bridge start to tilt, falling away from the larger structure. Fingers fighting for purchase meet only the sharp edges of ripped up wood. You brace yourself, shutting your eyes, and the world goes dark upon impact.

_”It sounds like it came from over here. Huh? How weak. Get up! You don’t look like any monster I’ve ever seen before. What are you? …I see. Well, my name is…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this one took a long time, and I can really only attribute half the wait to school work related stuff. Huge apologies about that, I'll try to get the others out in a much more reasonable time frame. I finished writing this one at about 3:30 am, so clearly my writing schedule is 100% professional and consistent, haha.


	6. A Ghost of a Chance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's good to be back, baby.

Cracking your eyes open, the memory of the strange voice slips away, leaving the sentence unfinished. Like the memory, your vision is blurry, and Flowey swims before your eyes. And another Flowey… and another?

You blink a few times to clear your vision, seeing Flowey’s face surrounded by a patch of similar looking flowers, though they lack any movement of their own. You feel cold and damp, a little disoriented, but largely unhurt from the fall – the flower patch must have done a surprisingly good job of cushioning your landing.

“Are you okay? You were out for so long, I was so worried.” You nod a little weakly, shaken but not severely injured. You reach behind you to push yourself up, but fiery pain shoots through your palms at the pressure, and you pull your hands back quickly hissing in pain. They’re covered in splinters, lightly embedded but painful nonetheless.

Tentatively, you try to grab one of the splinters to pull it out, but the pinching motion gives your other hand a similar spike of pain, splinters digging in further.

“Here, let me…” Flowey stretches up to reach your hands with his vines, gently wrapping them around a splinter. “This might take a while, and it’ll probably hurt to get them all out. S-sorry…” It has to be done though, and you’ll feel better in the long run.

Around a dozen splinters later, your hands are spotted with tiny wounds but are finally free of the wooden shards. As the last one slides free, you relax your muscles, tightly-clenched from pain and anticipation. Not willing to waste any more time, you stand, a little shaky for a moment before you catch your balance.

“Hang on, you’re hurt! Can’t you just take a break, just to rest for a second?” You frown at Flowey; your dream, memory, whatever it was had bothered you, leaving an itch that’s now driving you forward. “It’s just…” Flowey trails off, looking uncertain. “When you fell all that way, I thought you were really hurt. I was afraid… well, never mind. If you really feel okay, I guess we can keep going.”

Your eyes soften, knowing Flowey’s so concerned for your wellbeing. At least one monster is down here, and you’re thankful for it. Still, you’re eager to get going, so you make sure Flowey wasn’t hurt from the fall before placing him back in your bag.

The area here is dark and damp, much of the light that was previously in the cave swallowed up by how far deep down you’ve fallen. Water splashes around your shoes, starting to uncomfortably leech through the material. On top of that, the area _smells_ , like rot and must and mold, which you find comes from the piles – no, mounds – of garbage piled up along the walls. Some of it looks like human stuff, broken-down junk mixed with fungi-covered food. The mixture turns your stomach for more than one reason.

A beat-up dummy catches your eye, leaned against one of the walls. Stuffing leaks from its shallow cuts. You turn away, but only manage a few steps before a splash behind you makes you turn. However, you find nothing there. Another splash, this one ahead, and suddenly the dummy is inches from your face.

You leap back, eyes trained on the suddenly animated dummy. What once seemed lifeless and pale is now a vibrant orange, angry-looking floating dummy blocking your path. “Hey! You think you can just walk past me like that, like I'm some kind of dummy? Well I'll have you know, I am a ghost that lives inside a dummy! And I know what you are, and you’re just like the rest of them. You humans. First you dump your trash into our home. Then. Then! You don’t even have the decency to say anything. Like the rest, like all the rest. Human! I’ll show you what it’s like to be treated like trash!”

You want to diffuse the situation, but you’re barely given a chance before the dummy attacks. To your surprise, he doesn’t use magic like the rest of the monsters you’ve faced – instead, he starts the fight by pulling out a knife. Must have gotten it from the trash, judging by its chipped handle and rusted blade, but that doesn’t mean it’ll hurt any less.

Something inside you quakes at the thought of a knife fight. It’s silly, you think, to be more afraid of it than of the magic monsters have already hurled at you, as you already know just how painful that can be. Still, something about going up against a real weapon, even one wielded by magic, makes you consider just how unprepared you are – not just for this, but for the Underground in general.

The mad dummy swings with the knife, and you push your doubts and fears to the side with your dodge. That will have to wait until later. Instead, you muster up the courage to start trying to engage the dummy in a chat. If being ignored was what got you into this, maybe a conversation could get you out.

Unfortunately, Mad Dummy only looks madder. “Futile. Futile. Futile! It’s too late for that!” The knife comes hurtling towards you again, then bungeed back by its magic tether. You say you never meant to ignore him, and that you’d be happy to talk anytime.

“No, I won’t be swayed by more human tricks. I don’t want you to talk, I just want you to die!” Things are looking a bit bleak. You’re sure that you could get him to listen to you eventually, but with the danger of his knife you don’t think you have the stamina to keep dodging much longer. Talking seems to have little effect – you might be too late to offer friendship at this point. But what other option do you have?

There’s a distant, thumping rhythm. You don’t notice it right away, too caught up in literally pleading for your life, but as it gets closer you notice yourself subconsciously moving to its beat, timing dodges and recoveries to the gradually increasing thrum of… pop music?

Even Mad Dummy slows, and eventually comes to a halt. “What! What! What! What is that horrible noise?!” You don’t think it sounds _that_ bad. Maybe a little generic, sure but-

“Aaaugh!” His shout startles you back into the present. “I HATE pop music! This is ridiculous, I can’t fight in these conditions!” He gives you a scornful look, as if the music was coming from you and not down the corridor. “Come back and fight me when there’s going to be some real music.” Clearly unwilling to stick around and see who’s coming, Mad Dummy takes his leave.

You, as you find out soon enough, are not quite so fortunate. “Hmph, some monsters just can’t understand the music biz, can they?” You turn to follow the voice, and see a floating… ghost? It looks like a kid’s drawing, a featureless bedsheet ghost, but instead of white the sheet is a deep, glittery black. There are sunglasses perched atop its head, and what you think might be a cellphone – one of those old fashioned flip phones with a waterlogged front screen.

The ghost eyes you, and you fidget a little. “Not like you; it looks like you’ve got excellent taste in music. Tell me, have you ever heard of Napstablook Agency, LLC?” Blinking, you shake your head. “Oh, you must be joking! Everyone who’s anyone has heard of my agency. Well, it’s nice to meet a fan with such a sense of humor. Here, I’ll autograph something for you.”

Without permission or warning, the ghost slips behind you and starts rummaging in your backpack. He grabs the first thing he can, which is of course Flowey’s boot which had been halfway out of the bag to begin with. Ignoring the flower’s miffed “Hey!” he pulls a marker from… somewhere… and scrawls something on it in big, loopy font before depositing the boot, Flowey and all, into your hands. You eye the signature, figuring ‘Napstablook’ must be the name of the company and the name of the ghost.

You ask Napstablook if the music you heard was his. The ghost laughs. “Me? Of course not. Sure, I started out making music, but why do that when I have Mettaton? He’s the biggest star in the whole Underground! And I, his humble talent agent, have helped him reach his true potential.” Just then, the flip phone rings, interrupting the song with a louder, more obnoxious song. “Gotta go – talent is a busy profession. Anyways, I have a feeling this won’t be our only fated meeting. I’ll be seeing you!”

And just like that, both Mad Dummy and Napstablook have left, leaving you no further than you were, but a lot more confused. Well, you and Flowey agree, there isn’t much left to do but head forward again.

And maybe try to get that writing off of Flowey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Surprised? Heh...
> 
> It's been A FULL YEAR but we're BACK! Does anyone care about this two years after I started it?
> 
> I sort of lost motivation for this fic a while ago. I absolutely loved all of you lovely people who read my story, whether you liked it or not, and I'm truly sorry, but between school and work I lost my passion and time for writing this fic. After a while of putting it down, it was hard to pick it back up again. But you know what? I think I'm going to try to finish this. I can't make any promises for how soon the next upload will be, and I'm sorry this was a shorter chapter, but I really needed something to get me back into the groove, and I hope this is a start. Next chapter might be short too, but with any luck it won't take me another full year to update ^^' I haven't revised the earlier chapters, but I have changed the names, so if they look unfamiliar that's probably why (or y'know, because it's been a year since I updated. That too).
> 
> Thanks for your patience, if you're still interested in this. I appreciate it more than you know.


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